Why are some students still doing remote-only school and others have been going in-person for months now? Also, why teenagers typically bully their friends. Then, how pain may not be a bad thing and shouldn't be feared. Also today: how our neighborhoods are becoming little partisan bubbles, and the results from a pilot program in Stockton, California where participants got free cash with no strings attached. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

Has the national media been making the pandemic out to be worse than it really is? Also, the lunar ark is like Noah’s Ark–with samples of DNA and seeds from plants and animals on Earth–but stored in frozen capsules on the moon for safekeeping. Then, how reparations for the descendants of enslaved African Americans might have changed the pandemic’s effect on Black people. Also today: how an implanted electrode can treat immune disorders better than drugs can, an army of volunteer coders hoping to create one national database of police activity, and turning used disposable chopsticks into high-end furniture. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Hate crimes are notoriously difficult to prosecute–so why try? Also, the mega-ship that got stuck for a week in the Suez Canal was just one example of a much bigger problem for the shipping industry. Then, how the political leanings of your state leaders affect what students learn about American history in school. Also today: how Springtime, oil supply, and politics have caused gas prices to soar these last few months; sometimes forcing a smile during tough times can turn toxic; and what happens when a baby is born on a plane. (Suez Canal Authority via AP)

Why does time seem to fly by for some people and drag on for others? Also, the process of inducting the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. Then, the importance of folk songs for enslaved Africans. Also today: the discovery of a swimming dinosaur, why scientists are pushing to protect the habitat of a native bumblebee nearing extinction, and the vault used to store plant seeds in case of emergency. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

How #BringBackOurGirls laid the foundation for Nigeria’s current kidnapping crisis. Also, how a fashionable bracelet with a secret panic button helps women extract themselves from dangerous situations before they escalate. Then, a volunteer EMT's perspective on her work in the midst of the dangers and trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also today: why sometimes a country would be better off not prosecuting a former political leader for corruption and the best ways to teach kids about when to ask for help and who to trust. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

The Trump Administration promised to bring all US troops home from Afghanistan by May, but will the Biden Administration keep that promise? Also, a hip-hop professor got his rap album peer-reviewed and published in a university press. Then, how processed foods are intentionally engineered to light up our brains in ways that make them addictive. Also today: why illegal logging plummeted in one part of Indonesia when an affordable health clinic opened in the community, and the mysterious physics of paper crumpling.

How do President Biden’s first two months in office stack up to his predecessors? Also, throughout history not all of America's first ladies have even been deemed important enough to have an official portrait painted. Then, this year’s winner of the Grammy for Best Album Notes. Also today: a Philadelphia woman who delivers free period supplies to women and girls who can’t afford them, how people with access to the internet and a lot of time on their hands are helping solve international crimes, and a more secure way to use a person’s face as their password for unlocking devices.

Pictures from left to right:

Laura Bush; Artist: Aleksander Titovets, Oil on canvas, 2008; National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Stewart

Helen Herron Taft; Artist: Bror Kronstrand, Oil on canvas, 1910; The White House; Photo courtesy the White House Historical Association

Who are the migrants amassing at the US/Mexico border right now, and what does the crisis look like on the ground? Also, why there are so few women in the field of economics–and why that matters. Then, why Iranians the world over were jumping over a fire this last week. Also on today's show: how the English National Opera is restoring breath to people who’ve had COVID, what role FEMA might play in helping manage the crush of migrants at the US border, and the story behind the first all-black high school rowing team in America.

The podcast where people talk about depression, in a really funny way. Also, the movement to not give out grades in school. Then, why some people have less severe COVID-19 symptoms than others. Also today: a choose-your-own-adventure soundtrack app, and why nice guys aren't at a disadvantage in business.

What’s at stake in the murder trial of the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck. Also, schools got a one-year reprieve from standardized tests because of the pandemic, but now the tests are back. Then, the secret behind Sesame Street's enduring success over the last 50 years. Additionally on today's show: a look at the lost art of letterlocking, and how scientists are turning those flimsy plastic shopping bags into clothing. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)